Cable bracket mechanism

ABSTRACT

The cable bracket mechanism is extendable between a cleat or clamp mounted to a building and a part of a bay or bow window that is remote from the building. The mechanism includes an elongated bracket having a right angle flange at one end that extends away from its main body in a direction opposite the hook portion at the main body other end, a cable having one end connected to a building and at its opposite end to a stud extended through an aperture in the flange, a bracket having the hook portion connected thereto and being mounted to the window and fasteners threadable on the stud to bear against the flange for adjusting the tension in the cable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates apparatus for adjusting the tension in a cablethat is being used in supporting other structure, for example bay andbow windows of a building.

At the present, there are devices that are mountable to a building formounting one end portions of cables while the opposite end portions ofthe cables are attached to a load, for example bay and bow windows, toaid in supporting such a load in a desired condition.

In order to provide novel devices that are relatively inexpensive andusable to adjust the tension in a cable or a rope that is at leastpartially supporting a load, this invention has been made.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cable bracket mechanism includes an elongated bracket having aflange at one end that generally extends at right angles to the mainbody of the bracket for having one end portion of a cable stud connectedthereto and a hook portion at the opposite end of the main body forbeing connected through suitable mechanism to a load being supported.The other end of the cable is attached to a building by suitable means,for example by a cable clamp or cleat. The bracket and stud permitadjusting the tension in the cable.

An object of this invention is to provide new and novel means foradjusting the tension in a cable or rope that is utilized in supportinga load from a supporting structure. A further object of this inventionis to provide new and novel cable bracket apparatus that is usable forat least partially supporting structure such as a bay or bow window andpermitting easily making an adjustment to obtain a desired elevationand/or leveling of such windows. A still further object of the inventionis to provide a new and novel bracket that is usable in conjunction witha cable for supporting structure such as a bay or bow window andfacilitating the adjustment of tension in the cable.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic showing of the use of the firstembodiment of the cable bracket apparatus of this invention forsupporting a bay window, only parts of the bay window being shown;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of the bracket and structure that isconnected to opposite ends of the bracket, said view being taken alongthe line and in the direction of the arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view that is generally taken along the line andin the direction of the arrows 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a transverse cross sectional view of the threaded stud of thefirst embodiment that is extended through an aperture in the bracketflange, said view being generally taken along the line and in thedirection of the arrows 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view that is generally the same as that ofFIG. 4 other than it is of a second embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and in particular to FIG. 1, there isdiagrammatically shown a cable clamp or cleat 11 mounted by nails orscrews 12 to an exterior wall 13 or to an overhanging part (not shown)of a building, for example a house, above a bow or a bay window 14 whichis generally shown in outline other than for the dotted line showing ofa mullion 14A, a seat board 14B, and a top board 14C of the window. Themullions 14A are remote from the house exterior wall. Rods and/or cables18 are extended downwardly through the mullions while suitable fasteners17, for example washers and nuts are mounted to the lower ends of therods in supporting relationship to the seat boards.

For connecting the upper end of the rods to the clamps or cleats 11,there is provided the cable bracket mechanism, generally designated 20,of this invention. The cable bracket mechanism includes an elongatedflexible cable 22 which may be made of twisted metal strands and has oneend portion secured to the exterior wall by a cable clamp or cleat 11while the opposite end of the cable is extended into an axial bore (notshown) in the non-threaded end portion 20 of an axially elongated metalstud, generally designated 23. The cable is suitably joined to the stud,for example by a swaging operation.

The end portion of the stud opposite the cable is threaded atdiametrically opposed threaded parts 24 while diametrically opposedflats 25 extend between the diametric threaded parts. The threaded endportion of the stud is extended through an oblong cable stud aperture 27that extends longitudinally through the flange 28 of a longitudinallyelongated bracket B, the aperture being sufficiently spaced from themain body 29 whereby a nut 35 may be threaded thereon. Advantageously,the aperture 27 is of a size and shape to permit the stud threadedportion being moved through the aperture along the axial length thereofwhile preventing the stud being rotated relative to the flange.

The bracket B has the main body 29 that for the majority of its lengthis rectangular, has transversely spaced longitudinal edges 29E and is ofa longitudinal length many times greater than its transverse width whichin turn is many times greater than its thickness. The flange is joinedto one longitudinal end portion of the bracket main body 29 to extend atgenerally right angles thereto. The longitudinally opposite end portionof the main body becomes progressively more narrow along bracket endpart 29A in a direction away from the flange. The main body has agenerally planar surface 29C extending transversely between the mainbody longitudinal edges 29E from at least the narrow end part 29A to theflange and an opposite planar surface 29B that extends longitudinallyfrom the narrow end part to the main body end portion to which theflange is joined. The narrow end part of the main body is integrallyjoined to the hook portion 30 which is reversely curved relative to thenarrow end part. The hook portion opens in a direction generally towardan extension of the flange on the opposite side of the main body fromwhich the flange extends. Thus, the hook portion is curved such thatafter extending longitudinally away from the main body, it is curved toextend further away from the plane of the planar surfaces of the mainbody in a direction opposite the direction that the flange extends awayfrom the main body planar surfaces and extends at least somewhatlongitudinally toward the flange. Accordingly, at least part of one ofthe narrow end part 29A and the hook portion are in overlappingrelationship to the free terminal transverse edge 30A of the hookportion which is spaced from the main body surface 29B.

The hook portion is extendable through the opening 31A in the leg 30B ofthe eye bracket 31. The eye bracket leg 31B is joined to eye bracket leg31C which extends at an obtuse angle to leg 31B, for example about 160to 105 degrees. The leg 31C is mounted to the window board 14C by havingthe rod extended though a rod aperture (not shown) in leg 31C and isremovably retained in a mounted relationship thereto by fasteners suchas a nut 33 threaded on the top end of the rod 18 to retain a washer 32in abutting relationship to the member 14C of the window. In using theapparatus of this invention, the eye bracket is attached to the windowtop board with the rod 18 extended through the rod aperture and thewasher 32 and nut 33 mounted on the rod, the bracket hook is portionextended through the eye bracket aperture 31A, the threaded end portionof the stud is extended through the flange aperture and a nut 35 isthreaded on the threaded end portion of the stud to be intermediate theflange and the bracket hook portion with there being a lock washer 37between the flange and nut 35 and the free end portion of the cableattached to the wall 13 by the clamp and cleat 11 to retain the cable ina taut condition. Thereafter, the nut 35 is further threaded on the studto increase the tension in the cable, or unthreaded an appropriateamount to decrease the tension in the cable, depending what is requiredto support the window in the desired condition. With more than one cablebracket mechanism being utilized, appropriate adjustments are made ineach of the cable bracket mechanism used until the window is supportedin a level condition at the elevation as desired.

Advantageously, the bracket B is formed integrally as a single unitaryunit. In place of the eye brackets being mounted to the rods 18, the eyebrackets may be mounted to the window remote from the wall 13 by screws(not shown) extended through apertures in the eye bracket leg 31C.Additionally, instead of the narrow end part extending at an anglerelative to the main body such as shown in FIG. 3, it may be at least inpart a planar continuation of the rectangular portion of the main body,or as another alternative, the hook portion may be joined to therectangular, planar main body portion and progressively curve toinitially extend longitudinally away from the flange in a directionopposite that from which the flange extends away from the main body andthence in a direction toward an extension of the flange away from themain body on the opposite side of the main body from which the flangeextends while at the same time being of a much narrower dimension thanthe transverse dimension of the main body rectangular portion. Also, inplace of the threaded portion of the stud having flats and the bracketflange aperture being of a shape such as shown in FIG. 4, the secondembodiment of the stud and bracket of the cable bracket mechanism may bethe same as that of FIGS. 1-4 other than that the threaded portion 40Aof the stud 40 is circular whereby the thread extends continuouslyhelically around the stud, and the aperture 41 of the bracket flange 42is circular and of a slightly larger diameter than the maximum diameterof the threaded portion.

1. For aiding in supporting from a supporting structure, one of a baywindow and a bow window in at least one of a level condition and at adesired elevation from a location spaced from the supporting structure,cable bracket mechanism comprising an elongated bracket having alongitudinally elongated main body that has a first end portion, alongitudinally opposite second end portion, a first transverse surfaceextending longitudinally between the main body first and second endportions and an opposite second transverse surface extendinglongitudinally between the main body first and second end portions, aflange joined to the main body first end portion to extend at generallyright angles away from the first transverse surface and a curved hookportion connected to the main body second end portion to open in adirection generally toward the flange and away from the main body secondsurface in a direction opposite from the direction that the flangeextends away from the main body, the flange having a cable stud apertureextending longitudinally therethrough.
 2. The cable bracket mechanism ofclaim 1 wherein the main body has transversely opposite, longitudinaledges and the surfaces are generally planar surfaces extending betweenthe longitudinal edges and longitudinally from the flange toward thehook portion.
 3. The cable bracket mechanism of claim 1, furthercharacterized in that an elongated stud that has a first end portionwhich is at least partially circumferentially threaded and is extendablethrough the aperture and a second end portion and an elongated flexiblecable having a first end portion joined to the stud second end portionand a nut threadable on the stud first end portion opposite the flangefrom the stud second end portion.
 4. The cable bracket mechanism ofclaim 3, further characterized in that it includes an eye bracket havinga first portion with an opening through which the hook portion isextendable and a second portion and means for securing the eye bracketsecond end portion to the window.
 5. Cable bracket mechanism thatextends between a device mounted to the building and a bay or bow windowfor aiding in supporting the window and facilitating at least one ofleveling and adjusting the elevation of the window, comprising anelongated bracket that includes a longitudinally elongated main bodyhaving longitudinally opposite first and second end portions, oppositefirst and second surfaces extending between the main body first andsecond end portion, a flange joined to the main body first end portionto extend at generally right angles away from the main body and a hookportion connected to the main body second end portion that is curved toopen longitudinally generally toward the main body first end portion andin spaced relationship to the second surface in a direction opposite ofthat which the flange extends, the flange having an aperture extendinglongitudinally therethrough, an elongated stud having an elongated firstend portion that is at least partially circumferentially threaded alongthe length thereof and movably extended through the flange aperture anda second end portion, an elongated flexible cable having a first endportion connected to the building by the device and a second end portionfixedly mounted to the stud second end portion, means for mounting thehook portion to the window remote from the building, said means havingan opening for having the hook portion removably extended therethroughand fastener means threadable on the stud first end portion andabuttable against the flange for adjusting the tension in the cable. 6.The cable bracket mechanism of claim 5 wherein the main body is of atransverse dimension that is many times greater than the transversedimension of the hook portion.
 7. The cable bracket mechanism of claim 6wherein the main body second end portion is narrower than the first endportion to provide a narrow end partion joined to the hook portion andis of transverse dimension that is greater than the correspondingdimension of the hook portion.
 8. The cable bracket mechanism of claim 7wherein the first and second surfaces are generally planarlongitudinally between the narrow end part and the flange.